Chasing the Tumbleweed

by Casey Dawes

Fleeing Salt Lake City as a twenty-­four­-year-old failure, Laurie takes the long way home through the middle of Nevada’s lonely high desert plains. Her rest stop should have been routine, but now she’s fighting for her life against a well-armed escaped murderer who’s dragging her further into the empty wilderness.

Forest ranger Jeff Dawson’s lonely life suits him just fine, but he’s concerned he’s falling into a rut and becoming soft. If trouble happens, will he be ready for it?

Genres: Short Stories, Romance

20 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 12, 2013

About the author

Casey Dawes writes non-steamy contemporary romance and inspirational women’s fiction with romantic elements.

She and her husband are traveling the US in a small trailer with the cat who owns them. When not writing or editing, she is exploring national parks, haunting independent bookstores, and lurking in spinning and yarn stores trying not to get caught fondling the fiber!

Claim your free collection of short stories! Go to her website, www.CaseyDawes.com, to discover how.

Reviews

[Laurie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this novelette. The suspense is particularly well-depicted; I immediately sensed the lurking danger and knew evil was afoot. The description of the desolate, remote high desert of Nevada is spot-on. The villain is repugnant and easy to hate while the hero, Jeff, an honorable and savvy forest ranger, is particularly swoon-worthy. Both protagonists have their baggage, but the chemistry between them flares quickly. It was easy for me to fall under the spell of this story because I could feel the aching loneliness in every word. The confrontations are chilling, but there exists under the slightly broken facades of our heroes a resolute determination to beat the odds and vanquish the evil conspiring to snuff all hope and joy from them. The dangerous criminal with nothing to lose is the obvious threat, but Laurie and Jeff also receive an unexpected opportunity to mend a few internal scars of their own, if they can also vanquish the invasive, almost paralyzing miasma of self-doubt and bruised spirit. This quick read is sure to stir emotion. Finally, it is a shining testament to the resilience of the human spirit.

This book was given to me by the author in exchange for my honest review.

Reviewed by Laurie-J

[Cary Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun read – and reminds us all to leave abandoned boxes in the middle of nowhere in Nevada ALONE! Somewhere between a short story and, well, something a bit longer, it won’t get you through a long winter storm, but it will surprise and delight you as you sunbathe (or whatever) on the beach this summer. Quick and fast-paced, Ms. Dawes will have you flipping pages and on the edge of your seat until, well, she leaves you laughing, cheering, and smiling for the rest of the day. Well done.
I purchased this book online and have given this review freely and without compensation of any kind.

[Pam B Morris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Endless miles of Nevada nothin' are nothin' to be flip about when you're a lone traveler. Laurie Bevin gets kidnapped at an odd outhouse, intrigued by a suspect cooler of books. She never imagines getting up close and personal with the bloody end of a Bowie knife, a sinister killer, or the ranger who stops at nothin' to come after her. What a fun, quick story of lurking danger with death nipping like coyotes at your heels.

Review from a preview without compensation
Pam B. Morris

[Tara · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was amazed at how much story Casey Dawes crammed into this exciting short story. The characters were likable. The situation certainly plausible. The tension... perfect.

Well written and intense, even the intimate glimpses into the thoughts of our protagonists was just right. I'll be looking for another title from Casey Dawes.

[Katy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quick read for a six-hour doctor's visit with procedure. This story actually scared me...I found it could have happened, at least the being in the wrong place at the wrong time and meeting the wrong person. I could have figured out how it ended, and the sequence is predictable. But it was scary enough that I don't want to read another for awhile.

Would I read it again? Absolutely!

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Liked the suspense and setting! Full review to be posted on my blog.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gave a great feel for the remote desert and impetuous youth. Didn't we all feel that nothing like that could happen to us? All the stupid things we did and survived.